Documents Required for US Student Visa

Once you get an acceptance letter from the US university, you need to gather the set of documents required to apply for a US student visa interview. The offer letter you receive contains credentials to log in and proceed to certain US systems that track your application throughout your stay in the US as a student. 

• Passport: A passport is the most basic requirement to leave your home country for abroad. For a US student visa, you must have a passport that is valid for at least the next 6 months.
   
• Form I-20: You need proof of admittance to a recognized US university to apply for an F or M student visa (see the types of US student visas for details), for which form I-20 helps. It is issued by the university detailing your course and self-funding details like bank statements or an education loan sanction letter. It is a crucial form throughout your stay in the US as an international student and to be stamped when you take up part-time employment, travel outside the US, etc.
   
• Confirmation page of Form DS-160: The DS-160 is the official non-immigrant visa application form to the US for a student visa. You will be filling it out online and paying the fee as per the directions. After that, you must get the printout of the DS-160 confirmation page to proceed with the visa interview application.
   
• SEVIS and visa application fee receipts: You must possess the SEVIS fee receipt and visa application fee (that includes the application processing fee and Affidavit of Support (AOS) fees) receipt before attending the consular interview.

For a student visa to the US, it is mandatory that students submit their biometric data to the US government. The biometric data is collected by scheduling a VAC appointment, and the student’s fingerprints and digital photographs are captured for security reasons. Also known as OFC (Offsite Facilitation Center) appointment, the following documents are needed to attend the VAC appointment: 

1. A valid passport
2. DS-160
3. Appointment confirmation page

Note: Information on the DS-160 and passport should match to avoid delays. Items like Electronic devices such as mobile phones and tablets, food or drink, large bags, cigarettes or lighters, sharp objects, aerosols, and weapons are not allowed at the VAC appointment.

Finally, congratulate yourself once you attend the US visa interview since it is the last hurdle in the application process from your end. Indian students can schedule a visa interview and attend within 56 days of registering with mandatory documents prescribed by the US embassy or consulate as listed below: 

1. Academic documents: Carry the academic documents mentioned for the first stage of application for the interview. The academic documents include your past academic certificates, like undergraduate, 12th, and 10th certificates. 
2. Entrance test results: You may also be required to present IELTS/TOEFL/GRE etc., certificates at the interview. 
3. A valid passport
4. Confirmation page of Form DS-160
5. Form I-20
6. Certificate of eligibility for F-1 & M-1 visa holders
7. Paid receipt of the application fee (if you are required to pay before the interview) 
8. Photo to be uploaded while filling out Form DS-160, otherwise, to be presented at the visa interview. See the photo requirements for the US visa
9. Proof of funds (bank statements, education loan sanction letter, etc.)
10. Work experience documents (if applicable)
11. Scholarship documents if you win any scholarship

It is mandatory to bring original documents to the US visa interview. If the documents are not original, it may lead to denial of your US student visa.

In the documentation process, your university will direct you to upload the documents in the right format and size on specified portals. The following are basic guidelines you may keep in mind for a prior understanding of the process:

1. All the financial and civil documents are uploaded to the US Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) of the National Visa Center (NVC).
2. CEAC accepts files in a JPG, JPEG, or PDF format less than 2 MB in size.
3. Upload all the necessary personal (birth certificate, passport, etc.) and financial (like education loans, fixed deposits, etc) documents. There are also optional documents you can upload.

The financial documents vary as per your preference of funding for the US. Typically the following are financial documents for a US student visa:

1. Bank account statements
2. Pay stubs (for employed applicants)
3. Tax returns
4. Education loan sanction letter
5. Sponsorship documents (if someone is sponsoring your studies)

In addition to the general list of documents, you may need more course-specific documents as per the university’s requirements. You might see a lot of others recommending what to submit and what not. But the best way to find all the documents you need is by checking the university’s website or emailing the university’s contact center.

Applicants should not submit a fake document while applying for a US student visa. Doing so will disqualify your application and may lead you to be blocked from entering the US in the future.

As an applicant, you must have all the fundamental documents with you. If you lack any of them and you have a valid reason, better you contact the university concerned and get a response from them. You can proceed with the application only if the university understands and accepts your request with the conditions.

Yes, you can. But the smile must be natural and not an exaggerated one. Both of your eyes must be open.